Blue Grass Chemical Specialties LLC has named Matt Brenner as its new President. Brenner takes the helm as veteran chemist and manufacturing leader Paul McCauley (who has led the company since 2017) continues as Executive Vice President.
A Louisville, KY native with a global professional background in the chemical and power generation industries, Brenner brings a dynamic leadership skillset to the position. Prior to joining Blue Grass, Brenner led sales for all North American hydrogenation catalyst product lines for Clariant Corporation. Brenner brings global business development, sales, and managerial experience to Blue Grass, which recently celebrated 53 years in business.
Mark Corr, President and CEO of parent company, Signet LLC, says, “Matt is exactly what we were looking for: a proven sales leader who can build lines of business, coupled with a diverse engineering background. Matt brings a hands-on approach, extensive experience, and an engineering pedigree. When we saw his expertise, proven industry track record, and entrepreneurial passion, it was clear he was the right fit for the role.”
Blue Grass Chemical Specialties made its name in the metal salt solutions and nitrates industry. The firm offers extensive toll production capabilities, as well as a proprietary lineup of offerings in the space.
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“We are putting our efforts into people, product innovation, and capability expansion. There is immense opportunity in supporting the efforts of downline chemical manufacturers—their R&D efforts are fueled by firms like Blue Grass making their technology a reality,” says Brenner. “I’m happy to own the entire process and carry that responsibility. There’s no secret sauce to our success; hard work, improvement, and living up to our potential. The chance to build a fantastic team and solve challenges in the industry through constant improvement are what drive and excite me.”
To that end, Brenner led off this effort by hiring Bill Turner. Affectionately known in the catalyst and chemicals industry as “The Wizard,” Bill is an uncontested legend, bringing over 48 years of sales experience, including technical, manufacturing, procurement, and custom project management. Turner joining the Blue Grass team should be a signal of the direction Brenner is leading Blue Grass, and of the significant growth the team expects.